I'm putting a 56 DeSoto 330 hemi together for my 54 Chevy, I was told by HotHeads that the only way to get a cam for what I want is to grind the one I have. I was told by the shop doing the machine work to go to Erson Cams. What I'd like to know is are they still doing business or does anybody make a cam for what I want? Racer Brown will cut the cam.

I'm sure you can find a cam maker out there to grind you a custom as I understand some DeSoto blanks are available (but I don't know where). The most cost effective way to go is to have Bob Walker at HotHeads regrind your stock cam. You'll have to use adjustable push rods but you would have to do that anyway since there were no DeSoto hemis I'm aware of (possibly some of the dual quad 345's) that had adjustable rockers.

If you're building a cruiser and not a race engine then a reground cam should work just fine.

Yep, building a cruiser, airride, chopped, etc. You're right, Hotheads seems the place to go for this. I was really wondering about a reground cam, but like you say, as long as it's not a radical grind I should be okay. One thing I've found out,I've done Chevy's all my life, I could do 3-4 of them for the cost of a hemi...

Call Donny Johansson...he will grind you a NEW cam. They have every Master for every cam the ever ground. I scored an NOS roller cam for my 291 DeSoto and sent it to him to spec out for me. He identified it as one of theirs from the late 50's. He said they have the blanks to grind the old DeSoto cams...use your Stock pushrods. You could also call Chris Neilson and see if he got his new repro cams off the ground yet...
Chet Herbert
Street: 15600 El Prado Rd
Chino, ca 91710-7623
Phone: (909) 597-2310

Call Donny Johansson...he will grind you a NEW cam. They have every Master for every cam the ever ground. I scored an NOS roller cam for my 291 DeSoto and sent it to him to spec out for me. He identified it as one of theirs from the late 50's. He said they have the blanks to grind the old DeSoto cams...use your Stock pushrods............

Depending on the cost of the cam this certainly could be less expensive than going the "reground" route. Considering the cost of adjustable pushrods.

Thanks a bunch, it's not going to be more than a 10:1 motor and trying to get about 300 horse motor out of it. Considering only 10 headbolts I think thats' all the compression cam I want to try because I will be driving it. So maybe that kind of cam will overcome the pushrod cost...hopefully.

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